After three consecutive defeats, any victory is welcome, and a four-goal win is certainly convincing. However, the context cannot be ignored. Southampton, already looking doomed, have been conceding an average of 2.41 goals per game and have lost 14 of their last 17 league matches. With little left to play for beyond trying to surpass Derby County’s record low of 11 points, they provided little resistance. The Premier League prides itself on its competitiveness, but Southampton’s struggles make that claim difficult to justify.
No win should be taken for granted, but beating a side in freefall does not do much to silence critics. Despite the comfortable victory, frustration among some supporters remains. Around 150 fans protested against the club’s ownership before kickoff, criticizing Todd Boehly and Clearlake while calling for success. Some held signs referencing past eras of dominance, with names like Roman Abramovich and José Mourinho being chanted. But the dissatisfaction runs deeper than results alone.
Had Chelsea defeated Everton before Christmas, they would have briefly gone top of the table. Since then, however, they had won only two of their last 10 matches prior to facing Southampton. There was a growing sense that their earlier surge was unsustainable, with Cole Palmer’s outstanding form temporarily masking deeper issues. While he was not poor in this match, he missed two first-half chances that he might have converted a few months ago.
Beyond form, the club’s struggles reflect a broader shift in football. The disconnect between supporters and their club is widening, with Chelsea increasingly resembling an investment vehicle rather than a community institution. A few poor results are all it takes to expose the commercial nature of modern football. The team’s difficulties in recent months stem partly from squad-building challenges, with a flood of new signings creating a lack of clear identity.
Injuries have played a role as well. Wesley Fofana, Roméo Lavia, and Nicolas Jackson represent a crucial spine of the team, and their absence has disrupted the structure. Jackson, despite his struggles against defensive setups, remains a natural center-forward. Without him and Marc Guiu, Chelsea lack a true number nine. At the same time, they are missing the width typically provided by Noni Madueke, sidelined with a thigh injury, and Mykhailo Mudryk, following a positive drug test. This has forced a tactical reshuffle.
Pedro Neto, normally a winger, has had to operate centrally, while Christopher Nkunku best as an inside forward has been deployed on the left. His positioning has drawn some criticism from fans, but his role is vital given Marc Cucurella’s tendency to invert from left-back. Despite appearing uncomfortable at times, Nkunku’s goalscoring instincts remain intact, as he showed after 24 minutes by getting in front of Will Smallbone to nod in Tosin Adarabioyo’s header while taking a hit from Aaron Ramsdale.
Nkunku was also involved in the second goal, cutting inside and setting up Neto, who blasted home after a defensive lapse from James Bree. Just before halftime, Levi Colwill made it three with a powerful header. The second half was a mere formality, with Chelsea controlling the game and adding a fourth through Cucurella on the break.
This win lifts Chelsea back into the top four, but bigger challenges lie ahead.
